Detroit Lions Fan Blog

The pre-season opener is tonight against the Bengals. We are psyched. There are tons of headlines about the Lions right now, so we thought we’d pass on some of the latest news. Enjoy!

Johnson will get plenty of playing time against Bengals

Marinelli wants third-stringers prepared for close finish

LIONS: Five things to watch for Thursday’s exhibition

Lions WR Johnson says preseason game doesn’t count as his debut

Detroit Lions’ Kevin Jones on Tatum Bell: ‘I Am the Better Back …

Never one to allow good news to stand in the way of bad, the Detroit Lions announced the signing of their first round pick (Calvin Johnson) on Friday, as well as the placing of their other rookie project (Drew Stanton) on Injured Reserve. Stanton had surgery on his knee almost immediately after joining the team, and now he is already on IR. That means that Stanton is officially done for the year. At least we have another first round WR in camp! Woo hoo!

Let’s talk about Johnson (stop with the joking, you morons). Johnson’s contract is for six years and it reportedly totals 55.5 million (27 of that guaranteed). The Lion’s latest first round WR choice (he went #2 overrall) is considered a “can’t miss” star in the NFL. Of course, we’ve seen all this before (how did that Charles Rogers thing work out?) and the hype around CJ is huge. He’ll certainly start right out of the gate and he should complement stud WR Roy Williams and slot receiver Mike Furrey nice. He is definitely another piece to the Mike Martz puzzle and we expect him to do well, stat wise. The Lions offense could be improved over last years and with all the boasting that Kitna and Furrey have been doing - they better.

Not to run this into the ground, but what about the defense? The organization seems to be un-wisely focused on the offensive side of the ball, to the detriment of the defense. Some serious defensive stars where on the market this year (Lance Briggs, Simeon Rice, etc) and the Lions didn’t even take a look at those guys. I mean, why not at least give the APPEARANCE of trying to improve their defense. I guess there just isn’t enough time, especially when there are so many young college receivers out there. Obviously they need to spend every waking hour watching scouting tape on potential new wide receivers.

We know that the offense can score points but if they can’t stop anyone, they’re going to have problems. We’ll see how this plays out, but if nothing improves, look for the Lions to go 3-13 again and draft another high profile receiver in the first round next year.

Oh. My. God. This is the funniest, saddest, most RIGHT ON post I have read about the Lions in years. If you love and or hate the Lions, you must read:

The Ghosts Of Wayne Fontes: The Epitiome & Agony Of Being A Lions Fan

Kudos to Red for sharing this with us. I need a drink.

According to the Detroit News, rookie quarterback Drew Stanton injured his knee over the weekend. While the sources claim that the injury was not serious, they also report that Drew had surgery to repair the damage. Recovery time could be as long as a month. Stanton was a second round pick for the Detroit Lions.

According to MLive.com’s Tom Kowalksi, Kevin Jones Is 50-50 For The Season Opener. He is recovering from Lisfranc surgery (that’s techspeak for foot surgery), and even though he is recovering nicely, he reportedly is still having limitations cutting. The regular season opener is September 9th, and there is a good chance that he starts the season on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. That would mean Jones would miss the first six games of the year. At that point, he either has to join the regular roster or be out for the rest of the season. I seriously doubt that he will miss the season, but at this point, you have to wonder if Jones is going to be the main guy for the Lions this year. The Lions value Jones very highly, and if he is not at 100% there is no way that they risk further injury.

The Lions open training camp on Wednesday. I’m psyched to see football return and it will be interesting to see how the team shapes up this summer. Like most of you, we are avid fantasy football geeks and the Lions have some really nice fantasy options to keep an eye on. So, for this off-season report, we’ll update you on the Detroit Lions fantasy impact players.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz knows how to rack up the points (and yardage) so this offense will not sneak under many fantasy radars. You can expect your competitors to follow these players closely. The Lions defense has not improved, and last year it was a disaster, so expect the offense to have to perform even better to keep the team in the game. We are very high on the Lions’ offensive potential this year.

At QB, look for Jon Kitna to improve on last year’s numbers. Last season, he started all 16 games for the Honolulu Blue and passed for over 4200 yards. He threw for 21 TDs, but he also gave up 22 interceptions. Mind you, some of those INTs were bobbled passes by his receivers (or wrong routes), and you also have to think that many of Kitna’s INTs were caused by forcing the ball to help the team come from behind. However, for Kitna and the Lions to turn their fortunes around, they will need to eliminate the turnovers. As long as Kitna is healthy, and his receivers perform as expected, we could see Kitna throw for 4400 yards, 26 TDs and 17 INTs. Not too shabby. He makes a passable #1 fantasy QB option, and a very nice backup. You might have to reach a bit to get him as your backup, but if your #1 QB (Peyton Manning for example) goes down, you’ll be glad to have Kitna and not some scrub.

The receivers on the Lions look poised for another great season. However, with rookie Calvin Johnson in the mix, Mike Furrey’s catches will likely drop. Furrey came out of nowhere last year to gain 1,000 receiving yards and 6 TDs. That might look good to some fantasy coaches on draft day. Don’t let it be you. We expect Furrey’s production to drop dramatically. 600 yards and 3 TDs sounds about right.

Roy Williams is a stud receiver and his rapport with Jon Kitna is excellent. Early in the season, defenses will double team Williams to force Kitna to work with Furrey and the rookie Calvin Johnson. Johnson is prepared to step right into the mix (we’ll get to him later) and Furrey should be up to the task as the #3 receiver. By mid-season, Williams should see defenses open up a bit, and by the end of the year we wouldn’t be surprised to see Roy total around 1400 receiving yards and haul in 9 TDs. He makes a fantastic #1 WR for your fantasy team. Look to grab him in rounds 4-5.

Newcomer WR Calvin Johnson is an early season favorite by oddsmakers to win Rookie Of The Year. That’s a tall order, especially for someone on the Lions. We aren’t buying the hype (remember Charles Rogers and Mike Williams?) but we think he will do way better than the bozos of the past. However, it will take some time for Johnson to fully grasp the Martz system. Look for 750-800 receiving yards and 4 TDs. He is not worth reaching for in most drafts, as many coaches will buy into the hype. Look for him to contribute as your #3 or #4 WRs in deep leagues, and hope for a surprise rookie season. CJ makes an especially nice choice in all dynasty leagues. Draft him and stash him on your bench.

At runningback, the situation looks murky. Martz likes having one all-around back that can do it all. Kevin Johnson is no Marshall Faulk though, and the Lions were wise to bring in Tatum Bell in the off-season. KJ is coming off a serious injury, and even if he is healthy by the start of the season (all indications are that he won’t), he certainly won’t be able to perform as well as last year.

We are eyeing Tatum Bell as a sleeper choice this year. Keep a close eye on how the RB situation shakes out this pre-season. If Bell is named the starter in Detroit, don’t be shy on drafting him as your #2 RB. If the Lions offense performs as well as we think they will, Bell could rack up 1100 rush yards and 400 receiving yards. 14-15 TDs would not be out of the ordinary. TJ Duckett was brought in to give some extra depth in the backfield, and he should contribute a bit in goal line situations. His value rises in TD only leagues.

Finally, we actually like Jason Hanson’s chances for comeback player of the year this year (if they give that award to kickers). The offense will certainly get it’s share of points and Hanson has a dynamite leg. He scored 117 points last year, and we are looking for more this year. Let all the big names kickers go off the board and grab him in the last round.

That’s it for our Off-Season Report. Don’t be shy to grab Lions players this year for your fantasy team. The offense will certainly be improved. As for the defense, don’t get me started. Good luck!

Argh…

Where to start? Everybody is talking about Jon Kitna’s recent claim that the Lions will win at least ten games this year. I’m not even going to work to find the right link or quote that backs up this claim. Who knows, it might be incorrect. But the point is - everyone believes that Jon Kitna has promised that the Lions will win ten games this year.

As a huge Lions fan, I have one simple question: Does this help or hurt?

Let’s face it. Now everyone is talking about what a stupid prediction this is. And yes, it is a stupid prediction. I would love it if the Lions won ten games this year, but even with my rose colored glasses, I am not out there predicting that the Lions will win ten games next year. I mean, yes, it would be awesome if the Lions won ten games this year, but what is the point of predicting (especially at this point of the off-season) that the Lions will win ten games? Everyone just laughs. And frankly, the franchise has not done anything to discourage this.

I don’t have a ton of things to say about this bold prediction right now. Sometimes (like in this case) it helps to just document what has happened and then comment on it later. And let’s face it - Kitna will either prove to be a genius or a dumb ass for going out on this limb. I appreciate his positive thinking. I really do. But I am kind of speechless.

However I will say this. It gives the Lions confidence. The coaches have the team drinking the Kool Aid. Believe. For now.

Former Lions defensive end James Hall recently spoke out about the Honolulu Blue. According to Hall (who is now with the Rams), the Lions lack chemistry and in general, are not a well run team. Surprise, surprise!

Hall told the Detroit Free Press that “I personally didn’t feel that the organization was going in the right direction, as far as the people they were bringing in to make it a winning team. I just got tired of, every two years, rotating the coaching staff, guys going in and out, not really having any continuity on the team. I just felt like I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to get something done there.”

Of course, James Hall is with a new team now and has to say all the right things to fit in with the Rams. But one has to wonder how many players on the Lions also feel that the team is going in the wrong direction.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Kevin Jones has had two of the three pins removed from his surgically repaired foot. Jones says “That one stays in. It’s not anywhere where it’s going to affect me from flexing it at all.” According to several published reports, he is progressing well and he is on schedule to be ready for the start of training camp. He has been running at half speed and has been lifting weights as well as riding a bike. Let’s hope KJ comes back healthy and ready to rock this season.

Here’s an interesting development. The NFL wants to limit the amount of video footage that news media (including online news groups) can show. The new limit is 45 seconds. So, in effect you can only show 45 seconds of any press conference, player interview or practice footage.

We don’t really get into showing lots of video on the site. We mainly use it as a form of therapy, a place to vent our frustrations, and occasionally proclaim our loyalty to the Detroit Lions. I think we’ve embedded a YouTube clip once or twice, but thats it. We really don’t have a pressing need to show two minute long Mike Martz news conferences, but it would be nice to know that we still have that right. For Detroit Lions sites that actually do use Detroit Lions footage in their reporting, this ruling will severely limit their Lions coverage. And let’s face it - limiting news reporting is never a good thing.

I guess we will have to stick to critical analysis, occasional rumor mongering and the good old fashioned pot shot. Hooray for the first ammendment!